India Wins a Gold in Olympics

I am very happy when I first heard the news in Radioone while driving to work in the morning now. India’s Abhinav Bindra has won a gold in men’s 10-metre Air Rifle event in Beijing.This is India’s first ever Olympic gold in any individual event and ninth in total. So far the nine gold medals have been won in group events like Hockey. India is growing by every other parameter in the last 50 years – whether it is eradicating poverty, education, economy, Nuclear Power, IT Services, etc. but it was a shame that India hasn’t performed well in sports. We are all celebrating this in our company now with some Cadbury’s chocolates.

I do agree that Politics and Politicians play a major role in the great set back of Indian Sports. But at this point I feel there is more key reason for this to be the attitude of parents and schools, ofcourse there are some exceptions. According to the parents in India studies gets more priority than anything else, irrespective of their children’s interest. Parents are ready to send their student to special coaching for subjects, but not ready for any sports activities. There will be some exceptional parents, but those are not enough for our participation in Olympics. Also not many schools encourage sports in India, there are sports hours in schools which are used by other subjects, that too during exam times. So I think parents and schools has to change atleast to some extent which will eventually force (democracy) the government to take some action.

Thanks Steve for reading my blogs and your comments. Yes, I agree with you that it is "Politicians" and Politicians in Indian Sports (In India we have politics everywhere as we believe too deeply in democracy :-)) that is reason to this deep cancer. A disease that has taken roots over 100 years cannot be cured by just 1 Gold Medal shooting – however powerful be the shot and the bullet.

I don’t want to reduce "Cricket" in any way (I am guilty of being a fan myself) but I have to say this. Oflate Indian Cricket has become all about "Money" and "Entertainment", less and less about sportsmanship. Few Indians have now started to think that Indian Cricket has become entirely stage managed by sponsors (and in dressing rooms) than about chance and the performance on ground. So Indians can’t rest even with Cricket.

Also, this year Indian Hockey team not qualifiying for Olympics and the spectacle around it where Indian Olympic Council had to disqualify the entire board of Hockey Federation of India is nothing but shameful for all Indians. And to think that Hockey is India’s national sport.

With all this, the reason I want to celebrate is not to miss this golden moment for Indian Olympics. Only by celebrating this moment, media picking it up big time is the cure going to come for Indian sports. If Media picks it up and people around India realize there is sports, money and fame apart from Cricket then our politicians will take notice – anyways where there is vote bank, politicians will be sure to follow. So far they have scott-free as no Indians cares about any other sport other than Cricket, that too when we play against Pakistan.

If India misses to seize this moment and benefit, I am sure this will be the only Olympic moment of glory for India I will get to celebrate in my lifetime.

Mr. Venkatarangan – I am a long time reader of you blog but first time commenting about on any topic. I agree with you that all Indians should start celebrating at this time. However, at the same time politicians and private sponsors should be ashamed of themselves to just allow 16 members to participate out of 1,127,888,248 people (and growing). Since only sport INDIANS care is CRICKET; which only 15 or 20 countries play out of 200 plus that are participating in Olympics.